Dutch soccer team Vitesse Arnhem was penalized 18 points on Friday and will be kicked out of the first division as investigations continue into its links to former owner Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich on Chelsea.
Vitesse said in a statement that it will not appeal the sanction imposed by a panel of the Dutch federation. The team was relegated to the second division for the first time in 35 years.
Vitesse were already in danger of going backwards before their total points were reduced to -1.
The Dutch federation said the club had “repeatedly” failed to comply with its financial licence.
Vitesse and its Russian owners had a long relationship with Chelsea, which Abramovich owned for almost 20 years. The British government forced Chelsea to sell after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
In March 2022, Vitesse were playing in the round of 16 of the Conference League against the eventual champions, Roma. The Dutch side’s fortunes have changed since then, with former Netherlands midfielder Phillip Cocu stepping down as manager last November.
An investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian said last year that Abramovich secretly financed Vitesse with more than $100 million.
2024-04-19 18:32:47
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